1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to optimization methods and particularly to multiple product, multiple step optimization methods useful for optimizing the manufacture of foods and other products.
2. Description of Related Art
Product formulations are typically created to meet specific physical and chemical product characteristics. For example, food formulations are created to meet specific consumer nutritional, sensory, and physical requirements. Historically, manufacturers recognized the potential of additional economic value by utilizing commodity ingredients for product formulations. The commodities (e.g. unprocessed or processed goods such as meats, cereals, grains, fruits, and vegetables) have varying nutritional, sensory, physical, cost, and availability characteristics at any or various time. To produce product formulations with the desired nutritional, sensory, and physical characteristics while utilizing commodities with varying nutrition, sensory, physical, cost, and availability characteristics, single step optimization methods have conventionally been used for single or multiple product optimizations. However, as the manufacture of products became more complex, the single step, single product and single step, multiple product optimization methods became inadequate for the more complex manufacturing methods. There is, therefore, a need for optimization methods for multiple product, multiple step manufacturing processes.